Chicago Tribune ditches tabloid

British newspaper readers have made the move from broadsheets to tabloids without apparent heartache. But it appears that Americans, in one city at least, prefer the larger format.

The Chicago Tribune launched a tabloid edition to attract newsstand buyers in January 2009 while continuing to publish its traditional broadsheet edition for subscribers.

At the time, it was predicted that the tabloid would take away sales from the paper's tabloid-shaped rival, the Chicago Sun-Times. The Tribune's street sales did improve for a while, but eventually levelled off.

According to the paper's editor, Gerry Kern, the elimination of the tabloid will help the Tribune streamline operations, reduce costs, and focus on its core broadsheet edition alongside digital initiatives.

Earlier this year, the Tribune's overall sale was audited at an average of 437,205 copies on weekdays and 780,601 on Sundays.

By contrast, the Sun-Times's weekday sale was 419,407 and 421,453 on Sundays.